Young People

This webpage has been designed specifically for use by young people following input from local young people, the Cotswold School Nursing team, the Gloucestershire Youth Support Team and Public Health Gloucestershire. Please provide any feedback or content for inclusion to the Practice Manager, Sophie Williams at sophie.williams@nhs.net.

Registering with a GP

If you're under 16, your parent / guardian register you with a GP. If you're aged 16 and over, you can choose your own GP.

Confidentiality

If you're under 16, you have the right to a confidential consultation with a doctor, provided you make it clear that you do not want your parents to be told. However, your doctor can refuse to discuss the matter if they are unwilling to accept your request for confidentiality. If you're aged 16 and above, you have the right to confidential advice and treatment.

For further information about confidentiality and the decisions that health profressionals make to determine if a young person is mature enough to make decisions please click HERE.

Online Consultations

Did you know that you can email your GP for advice? Provide information via the webpage below and a GP (or other staff member) from Stow Surgery will get back to you by phone by 6.30pm the following working day.

Childhood Immunisation Programme

Immunisations for young people are usually carried out in schools however if vaccinations are missed for whatever reason then they can be given in GP surgeries.

The Men ACWY vaccination programme is being delivered to teenagers and first-time students over a 3-year programme which commenced in 2015.

The priority is to vaccinate all teenagers from school year 9 before they complete school year 13.

With so many pupils to vaccinate, the catch-up programme is being rolled out over several years with first-time university students up to 25 years of age being offered the vaccine first.

Students going to university or college for the first time, including overseas and mature students up to the age of 25, should contact their GP to have the Men ACWY vaccine, ideally before the start of or in the first few weeks of the academic year.

The booklet below explains about the HPV, Td/IPV and MenACWY vaccinations which are given between the ages of 11 and 19 (school years 7-13).

Young Carers

Gloucestershire Young Carers is a local organisation supporting young carers to reach their potential, enabling them and their families to access support that minimises the physical and emotional impact of caring, and that promotes health and well being and resilience.

Little Red Book

Gloucestershire's Little Red Book is a library of where to go for help on mental health and emotional wellbeing or places you can go for help if you need someone to talk to. Click here to access the Little Red Book.

School Nurses

Both Chipping Campden and Cotswold Schools offer an extended drop in service to students. Students can literally just drop in. They don't need an appointment or to let their parents or school staff know.

Chipping Campden School - Tuesday lunchtime in room T6A

Cotswold School - Wednesday lunchtime

The school nurses can offer advice on the following aspacts of health:-

Emotional health - anxiety, exam stress, self harm and anger management. They can signpost students to the school counsellors and can refer / offer support for self referral to partner organisations such as CYPS, Teens in Crisis, Cotswold Counselling and Info Buzz.

The nurses are also able to signpost to other agencies for drug and alcohol concerns, advice around smoking and for weight management (to the eating disorder team for example).

Exercise Referral Scheme

The Exercise Referral Scheme is a 12-week tailor made package of exercise sessions for people over the age of 16 with or at risk of developing health problems. The sessions are run at Cotswold Leisure in Bourton on the Water and at Chipping Campden. Taking the first step to become more physically active can be the most difficult. This scheme allows people to try activities in a supportive environment, working at their own pace. For further information see the leaflet below or contact your GP. There is a cost associated with this scheme.

Gloucestershire C-Card Scheme

C-Card is a confidential condom distribution scheme where young people (up to the age of 25) can get free condoms from distribution outlets across the county. The purpose of the C-Card scheme is to increase the access and availability of free condoms to young people throughout the county in order to reduce teenage conception and STI rates. To access the scheme young people must be registered and have a C-Card.

The registration process involves young people having a confidential discussion with a trained professional around condoms, safe sex, contraception and STIs. They will then be shown how to use condoms properly and be asked to complete a registration form. From here, the young people will be given a card with a registration number on.

This card can then be used to access free condoms from distribution sites across the county, identified by the C-Card window sticker or poster. At a distribution centre, young people need to present their card, the person in the centre will then write down their registration number displayed on the card and hand them condoms.

Useful Websites

On Your Mind - a website aimed at helping the county’s young people cope with life’s ups and downs.

Anxiety UK - anxiety affects 15% of the population. This site was established to promote the relief and rehabilitation of persons suffering from agoraphobia and associated anxiety disorders, phobias and conditions.